Locol Consolidates Its Two Oakland Eateries

After less than a year on Broadway Street in Oakland, Roy Choi and Daniel Patterson’s high-quality fast-food restaurant has shut down—butLocol’s groundbreaking concept will live on at the Market Street location, which opened as a bakery earlier this year.

Choi and Patterson released a statement via Instagram that indicates the closure was “planned,” given the one-year lease they had in the former Plum space:

“As planned, our one-year lease is up, and we’ve decided that our chapter here in Uptown has come to an end. The communities of East and West Oakland echoed our vision, but Uptown provided us the chance to provide jobs immediately, so we jumped at the opportunity. With our West Oakland location now up and running, we’re ready to say goodbye to the awesome people we’ve met here in Uptown! Come see us in the West, where we’ll be serving up your Locol favorites + baked goods and pizzas. Thank you Uptown!!!”

What remains unclear is how the consolidation of the two Locol locations will impact Choi and Patterson’s plans to expand into underserved areas in the Bay Area and around the country. Stay tuned...

Mockingbird Reopens in Oakland

As with almost every restaurant opening or reopening, things take a little longer than expected—but at long last, Mockingbird will debut its new incarnation today. The downtown Oakland restaurant will only offer lunch at first, but the good news is that a full bar will be available by the end of the month, and dinner service will begin after July 4.

Mockingbird first opened in 2013 on San Pablo Avenue, but it’s now housed in a larger space on 13th Street. While the restaurant certainly looks different, diners can still expect excellent service and a warm, friendly atmosphere.

Farley’s East Expands Its Territory

Eight years ago, Farley’s East was a pioneer in Oakland’s Uptown district, and now that the area has become a thriving community, owners Chris and Amy Hillyard are taking advantage of that growth and expanding into the space next door.

The new digs will open Monday, June 26, and will be celebrated with a revamped menu that will include avocado toast and a chipotle mac and cheese—both of which already sound like winners in our book.

There will be limited hours for the first few days, but the larger kitchen and extra seating areas will all be available—along with beer and wine—as soon as the new space opens next week.

Chai Thai Adds Third Location on Piedmont Avenue

Unlike the Chai Thai Noodles restaurants in Hayward and Oakland, the latest Chai Thai venture will focus on craft cocktails in addition to food—thus the new name,Chai Thai Bar.According to Berkeleyside Nosh, Chai Tai Bar will move into the spot previously occupied by Adesso and will open sometime in July.

Drip Line Pursues James Beard Burger Prize

West Oakland’s Drip Line is approaching the James Beard Foundation’s annual Blended Burger Project—which challenges chefs to meld mushrooms with beef—a little differently.

Executive chef Nora Dunning grew up in Singapore, so Drip Line’s blended burger will have some Far Eastern flair, featuring 60% grass-fed chuck, 40% roasted shiitake mushrooms, sambal aioli, arugula, cheddar and gruyere, pickles, lotus chips, and furikake—all sandwiched between a koji brioche bun. (It’s also worth noting that the James Beard contest guidelines call for a minimum of 25% mushroom content, so Dunning is going above and beyond with her burger because of her passion for sustainable and healthy food.)

The winner of the contest will be determined by an online vote, and Drip Line is the only East By participant, so get your hands on that burger and cast your vote.

Sultan’s Kebab to Get a New Look

Sultan’s Kebab, located in Pleasanton’s Bernal Plaza shopping center, will look a lot different come this fall, as the Mediterranean restaurant is expanding next door and bringing the number of indoor seats up to 120. The eatery is also adding a patio that will be able to seat another 60 people, and it’s bound to be the perfect place to enjoy shawarma and falafel on a pleasant fall day.

Off the Grid Comes to Broadway

Fans of Off the Gridare everywhere, and now those who love the tasty food truck offerings will be able to get their fix during lunch in downtown Oakland. Starting today, June 21, three to six food trucks will be parked at 11th and Broadway (“The Lot”) on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check the Off the Grid website to see when your favorite food trucks will be offering their goodies.

Walnut Creek Wine Walk Returns

Sip local wines and savor food from local restaurants while strolling through downtown Walnut Creek tonight, June 21, when the Walnut Creek Wine Walk makes its return. From 6 to 9 p.m., guests will be able to sample vino from 14 wineries and savory bites from 10 restaurants. The Wine Walk will kick off at Patioworld, where you can buy $40 day-of tickets. What better way to celebrate the official start of summer?

3 Potato 4 Hosts Celiac Benefit on Sunday

3 Potato 4, which offers vegan, gluten-free, and organic French fries and other snacks at Stoneridge Shopping Center in Pleasanton, will host a fundraiser for the Celiac Community Foundation of Northern California on Sunday, June 25, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Twenty percent of the proceeds will be used to purchase supplies for Camp Celiac at Camp Arroyo in Livermore, which allows youngsters with the disease to enjoy a full week of activities and delicious gluten-free food.

Walnut Creek Yacht Club’s 10th Beer Dinner

Randy Janinda of Walnut Creek’s Farm Creek Brewing Company will join diners for the Walnut Creek Yacht Club’s 10th annual “It’s Not a Wine Dinner, It’s a Beer Dinner, Dinner” on Wednesday, June 28. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a beer cocktail on the Yacht Club’s Aft Deck. Dinner will start at 6:30, featuring multiple courses paired with Farm Creek beers. The event costs $65 per person, and we recommend you make your reservations fast—this is one of the Yacht Club’s most popular events, and you won’t want to miss it.

Extra Scoop

If you find yourself in San Francisco this weekend or next, head to Salt and Straw, a popular Portland-based ice cream shop that opened its first Bay Area location in S.F.’s Pac Heights neighborhood. The quirky, imaginative ice-cream purveyor recently partnered with Emeryville’s Imperfect Produce—which fights food waste by buying cosmetically challenged fruits and veggies and delivering them to subscribers throughout California—to create a unique new flavor. Imperfect Produce's Candied Citrus and Whey Caramel features caramelized whey with sugar, buttermilk, cream, and a touch of salt for a frozen yogurt-style caramel ice cream, tossed with handfuls of candied citrus zest from Imperfect Produce. This refreshing treat is only available until June 30, so make sure to get your scoop, pronto. After all, what better way to beat the heat?